Original Item: Only One Available. Here is something that we have only had once previously! This is a very nice brass-frame Colt "House Pistol" model revolver in .41 Rimfire, with a 4 round round cylinder and 3 inch barrel. While the revolver was available in 4 or 5 round variations, it was the 4 round deeply fluted cylinder that gave it the "Cloverleaf" nickname. The 5 round cylinder was straight without any flutes.

The revolver is stamped with serial number 1584 on the bottom of the grip, the bottom of the barrel, and is written in pencil on the inside of the both grip scales. The cylinder however is non-matching, marked on the front with 1393, so it was swapped out at some point during its life. Colt records indicate this revolver was produced in 1871, the first year of production. As with most we see, the nickel plating originally on the frame has worn away, now really only preserved under the grip scales, and the frame displays a lovely "mustard" patina. The barrel actually retains much of the original blued finish, as does the hammer, while the cylinder has it retained in the flutes between the cylinder.

The Barrel address marking is present and fully legible between the cross pattée dingbats:

The revolver cycles well with a strong dry fire, solid cylinder lockup, and accurate indexing, with a functional loading position. We did not notice any of the finicky behavior that we often see with revolvers of this age. The ejector rod is still present and functional. The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with crisp lands and grooves. In most areas the surface is mirror bright, however there are also scattered areas of oxidation, which look to be caused by moisture, not any type of use. The grips may have been refinished at some point, and show a lovely color, with no major wear or damage present.

A beautiful example of a hard to find pistol. Ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1871
Caliber: .41cal
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 3 inches
Overall Length: 6 3/4 inches
Action: Single
Feed System: 4 Shot Revolver

The Colt House Revolver (also called, in its alternate 4-round capacity model, the Cloverleaf) was one of the first metallic cartridge rear-loading revolvers to be produced by the Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, back in 1871. The same year, Colt's also patented the Colt Open Top, another metallic cartridge rear-loader, but in fact the Open Top production didn't start until 1872, although a pocket version of the Open Top, a completely different design, went on sales as of 1871, the Colt Open Top Pocket Model Revolver.

The Colt House Revolver was manufactured from 1871 to 1876 in two different models: the Colt House Model itself and the Colt Cloverleaf Model, the latter being the most produced of both. The House Model is also known among collectors as the Jim Fisk model or the Jim Fisk pistol, since it attained the infamy of being the gun used in the murder of James Fisk in January 1872.

Both models, House and Cloverleaf, were built around a solid hidden spur-trigger frame, a weapon architecture also used by another Colt gun, the Colt Sidehammer (1855). The Sidehammer had a flat-ended grip, while the House and Cloverleaf models had all of them a recognizable "bird's-head" grip. These features (spur trigger, "birds-head" grips, etc.) were common on many small pistols and revolvers during that era, such as the classic 2-shot "derringer" pistol. Finally, both models, House and Cloverleaf, were chambered with .41 caliber rimfire cartridges, available in both long and short sizes.

The main differences between the two models were the following:

Cylinder

● The House Model, also called the Jim Fisk Model, had a five rounds straight non-fluted cylinder.
● The Cloverleaf Model had a four rounds fluted cylinder. When viewed from front or rear the cylinder seemed to resemble a four-leaf clover, hence the moniker.

Barrel

● The House Model was less produced of the two and had no variant development. It was produced in a single item product with a 2-5/8" barrel.
● The Cloverleaf Model was more produced by far, and had two different variants, depending on the barrel length: 1-1/2" and 3". The 1-1/2" barrel length variant had an ejector rod contained within the center pin of the cylinder, allowing to reload while keeping the cylinder in the gun. The 3" barrel length variant of the Cloverleaf had the ejector in the same axis of the cylinder center pin and, thus, the cylinder needed to be removed from the frame when loading.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

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